January 26, 2023 | Public Defender Turned Novelist | 21:43 | S2:E89

EPISODE SUMMARY

My guest today grew up in Great Neck, New York. She attended college and law school at Yale. For many years, she practiced as an appellate attorney with a public defender’s office before turning to writing full time. She studied at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, and her work has been published widely online and in print. Her debut novel, UNREASONABLE DOUBTS, was named a finalist for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award in 2019. Her first middle grade novel, MY NAME IS LAYLA, won the 2021 gold medal in the Moonbeam Children’s Awards in pre-teen fiction. Her latest novel, BOTH ARE TRUE is called a “moving novel that examines what it means to start over–with surprising consequences.”

Welcome to Authors Over 50, Rayna Marder Gentin.

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October 28, 2021 | Plotting Tips for New Novelists

When I started writing seven years ago, there were so many aspects of creating a novel that I learned by trial and error. In my opinion, nothing compares to early readers who give it to you straight about how your characters are coming off on the page, whether your premise is sound, if your descriptions are allowing them to immerse themselves in your setting. Craft can be taught, to an extent, but making yourself vulnerable to honest critique is the surest way to improve your writing.

While learning from other readers and writers is key, some big picture guidance goes a long way! And while I tend to write character driven rather than plot driven fiction, I hope these thoughts will help you get started as you think about the story for your debut novel.

LARGER THAN LIFE. If you’re working on your first novel, I can almost guarantee that some aspects of your story are autobiographical. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but in most cases, the plot needs to be bigger and more exciting than what actually happened to you. Make sure to ask yourself “does the next twist further the character’s journey in a way that’s gripping,” and not “is this what happened next in real life?” It’s fine to be inspired by the story you lived, but don’t be a slave to it.

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October 25, 2021 | Mike Carlon Podcast

Have you ever wondered why there are so many legal dramas on TV? I know I’m dating myself here but off the top of my head I can think of LA Law, Boston Legal, Law and Order, and Night Court. Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t a drama, but it was damn funny. Maybe it’s because so many authors I’ve interviewed recently have fled the legal profession to follow writing as a career.

If you think about it, Lawyers, especially trial attorneys, have all the makings of good writers—good listening and analytical skills are the cost of entry, they have to be creative with how they present cases (hopefully not too creative) and they have to be passionate about their work. Reyna Marder Gentin is no exception.

In 2014, after practicing law for over two decades, Reyna decided it was time for something new. She followed a friend to a class on memoir writing at Sarah Lawrence College and got bit by the writing bug. Ever since, writing has become her passion.

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October 1, 2021 | 10 Books to Read if You Love New York City

BY REYNA MARDER GENTIN | OCTOBER 1, 2021 | CATEGORIES: WOMEN’S FICTION

Both Are True by Reyna Marder Gentin

My own novel, Both Are True, offers a sneak peek into the life and work of a New York City family court judge and the complexity of relationships in the Metropolis. Judge Jackie Martin’s job is to impose order on the most chaotic families in New York City, then her world is turned upside down when the man she loves walks out on her. Jackie must finally put herself under the same microscope as the people she judges. When their worlds collide in Jackie’s courtroom, she learns that sometimes love’s greatest gift is opening you up to love others.

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OCTOBER 11, 2021 | Conor Bredin |  Season 5 | Episode 2

Defending the Law with Reyna Marder Gentin

Reyna Marder Gentin is an author, and a former criminal defense lawyer. Reyna shares stories from her time in the courtrooms of New York, as well as how she turned away from that career into one of writing. 

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October 11, 2021

Conversations Live with Cyrus Webb

Host Cyrus Webb welcome author Reyna Gentin to #ConversationsLIVE to discuss her love of storytelling and the new book BOTH ARE TRUE.

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October 6, 2021 | Q&A With Reyna Marder Gentin

Reyna Marder Gentin is the author of the new novel Both Are True. Her other books include the novel Unreasonable Doubts. She is an attorney.

 Q: What inspired you to write Both Are True, and how did you create your characters Jackie and Lou?

 A: At the beginning of my career, I worked as a law guardian in Family Court in Manhattan, representing children in cases of neglect, abuse, and juvenile delinquency.

One moment that was seared into my memory was when a judge on a neglect case ordered a mother’s children to be removed from her custody in the courtroom without any advance notice. The raw emotion of the encounter was stunning.

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July 13, 2021 |  Season 1 | Episode 68

Creativity through the lens of an author: Reyna Marder Gentin

“It’s more important to not judge yourself on what it means to be creative.”

Her debut novel, UNREASONABLE DOUBTS, was named a finalist for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award in 2019. Her first novel for children, MY NAME IS LAYLA,  came out in January, 2021. It’s the story of a young teen with undiagnosed dyslexia, but it’s really about empathy and resilience. Reyna’s latest novel, BOTH ARE TRUE, will be published in October, 2021.

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July 13, 2021 |  Season 2 Episode 19

Gareth Davies’ interview with Lawyer & Author Reyna Marder Gentin

Reyna Marder Gentin has had a facinating journey from lawyer to author. Her latest novel, BOTH ARE TRUE, will be published in October 2021.

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June 30, 2021 |  From Law to Love Stories with Reyna Marder Gentin – TT 142

Interview with Lawyer & Author Reyna Marder Gentin

Reyna Marder Gentin attended college and law school at Yale. For many years, she practiced as an appellate attorney with a public defender’s office before turning to write full time. Her work has been published widely online and in print. Her debut novel, UNREASONABLE DOUBTS, was named a finalist for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award in 2019. Her first novel for children is titled MY NAME IS LAYLA, and her latest novel, BOTH ARE TRUE, will be published in October 2021.

Quote: “Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching.” — Satchel Paige

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June 25, 2021 | Touchy Subjects Podcasts

Interview with Lawyer & Author Reyna Marder Gentin

Fiction gives us the ability to gain understandings of things we may not have experienced or help those who have have discussions about them. This week we sit down with Reyna Marder Gentin, a retired appellate attorney turned author, to discuss how her fictional writing helps readers gain a real world understanding of the issues her stories discuss and how we can work toward creating a society where everyone, including perpetrators of crime, can contribute.

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June 23, 2021 | Podcast #33

Interview with previous Public Defender & Author Reyna Marder Gentin

Reyna discusses her career as an attorney and her three novels. Her latest novel, Both Are True is another moving legal drama that asks some hard questions of women in the legal profession, and also explores the complications them working to balance love, family, and life. 

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